I thought I’d fool around and take a
break. For me that means taking pencil
in hand and doodling. I find it very
relaxing. My mind goes elsewhere…la la
land.
But, this time I went for
the charcoal to do some rough sketching.
I figured I’d sketch one of my characters, especially since she’s been
changing a lot. She’s the main character
in my wip.
What’s her name you ask? Well, that’s changed too. It seems it's the name game here at the salon this week. Anyway, I gave my main character the name of Usha in the beginning. It means dawn in Sanskrit and the name of the Hindu Goddess of the Dawn and she is considered a daughter of heaven. I thought it was perfect for my YA character.
What’s her name you ask? Well, that’s changed too. It seems it's the name game here at the salon this week. Anyway, I gave my main character the name of Usha in the beginning. It means dawn in Sanskrit and the name of the Hindu Goddess of the Dawn and she is considered a daughter of heaven. I thought it was perfect for my YA character.
So, why did I change her name? The character is half-Chinese, but that’s not
the reason. I was worried that the name
wouldn’t resonate with the teen reader.
Would the reader like or dislike the name? What do you think?
So I began my search for a new name. I went from the cute to the sublime and
everything in between. This is what I
ended up with: Cici, taking it from the
English it means blind. It has no
meaning as an Italian name. The other name is Dao-ming, which means shinning
path.
Those don't do anything for me which means I’m back to the name search. If only I could doodle a name.
Those don't do anything for me which means I’m back to the name search. If only I could doodle a name.
Anyway, here’s my quick sketch of Usha.
Elizabeth
16 comments:
Wow - that's a great sketch! You're very talented.
I spend a lot of time thinking up names that I hope speak to readers. Names are very important to me, from my characters to the book title. If you're worried about "Usha" keep looking until you find the perfect name. :-)
Intriguing illustration.
As far as the name, go with your gut. "U" names are sometimes hard to say a lot. Why not make up a name that sounds part Chinese and part Hindu?
Impressive sketch! Wow! I agree with Catherine about going with your gut on the name.
No advice from me. I'm awful at names and usually change most of them before a manuscript is done.
Lexa,
I'm the same way about names. For me, the name has to have some symbolic meaning which I can then imbue my own meaning on top of it. So, I'll keep looking for the special name.
Catherine,
Interesting idea to combine Chinese with Hindu. Acually brillant.
Kelly,
Thanks and above all go with the gut. heheheh!
Sarah,
Glad I'm not the only one!
beautiful sketch! and I think Usha is pretty, but if you're not happy with it, keep searching. Here's a possibility for you:
Kalinda - means Sun in Hindi. She could be called Kallie for short. :)
Ohhhh Jessie, I love that name and like how it easily translates into a nickname. Gold stars for you.
Great sketch! I really wish I could draw ... I think it'd be so helpful. I like the name Usha. Is your wip in first person POV or third? Because if it's in first, I don't think it matters that much if the name resonates, because the readers won't be reading it a lot. A book can still be a success even if a lot of people aren't fans of the MC's name. Take Hunger Games for example. People either like the name Katniss or flat out hate it -- but since it was in first person POV, you really didn't read that name much, so it didn't matter.
You're artwork is lovely, by the way :)
Kim,
That's a good point about the pov. Whew! The wip is in first person POV. Maybe, I've been over thinking this.
What a wonderful sketch. It would be great to have such a talent.
I like Kallie. Best of luck in the name search.
Judie,
Thank you. But you have a talent for poetry. :)
Three votes for Kallie.
Wonderful sketch! What a great way to breathe life into your character. I like the name Usha. I can see how it fits the girl in your drawing perfectly.
Marsha,
Ohhhh, love that you can Usha. Must be that artist eye of yours. :)
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